HELENA – The Montana Livestock Loss Board is having a record year in terms of money paid out for depredations caused by wolves and grizzly bears.

But an official warns that’s only if you look at payment totals and not the number of animals.

The board was established by the state Legislature in 2007 to address economic losses due to wolf and grizzly bear predation and to create incentives for producers to take steps to decrease the risk of loss.

The program started in late 2008 and up until now 2009 was the top year with the state paying $144,995 for the deaths of 370 head of livestock: 107 cattle, 256 sheep, three goats, three guard animals and one horse.

As of Monday, the state has paid $146,745 so far this year for the deaths of 133 head of livestock, which includes 81 cattle, 51 sheep, and, for the first time, the state has paid for the slaughter of a llama by a grizzly bear on July 4 near Avon.

The total for that llama came to $258.

George Edwards, executive director for the Montana Livestock Loss Board, said it’s really not an apples to apples comparison as fewer animals have been killed this year, but the price of stock in 2009 was half of what it is now.

“A lamb back then was about $100, and they are now going for $200,” he said.

Edwards said calves in 2009 were going for $1 a pound for an average of $600, and cattle prices are now more than $2 a pound and now $1,200. The money comes from the state general fund and there is some federal money.

“It’s costing a lot more because the value of the animals is substantially higher,” he said.

Edwards noted livestock prices have started to dip a bit in the past month.

“It’s the nature of the beast,” he said, adding that if market prices stay stable, the tally next year should be pretty close to this year.

One reason for the increase may be due to the fact depredations caused by grizzly bears were added to the list Oct. 1, 2013. Prior to that the list was just for deaths by wolves.

Edwards said llamas were added to the list in the 2011 legislative session, but the July 4 attack was the first llama death reported.

To reach a price, he had to go out and find the sales of llamas of similar age and sex and then take an average of what selling for.

Steve Rolfing of Great Northern Ranch in the Flathead Valley has 65 llamas on his property. It was not his llama that was killed July 4.

He said llamas are used as guard animals at some ranches. He said they are effective mostly because they are curious. They can live with a herd of sheep, see a coyote and approach it.

“Sometimes they are aggressive enough to chase it away,” he said. “They can be quite effective.”

In terms of the $258 for the llama killed near Avon, he said he couldn’t comment. But he added the llama business is like the horse business where some show animals can go for $10,000 or more. Others can go for a lot less.

John E. Steuber, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Montana Wildlife Services state director, recently gave the Montana Board of Livestock a general summary of depredations this year.

Wolf depredations are down, grizzly bear killings of livestock are up considerably, coyote depredations are up a little.

He said there have been increased bear reports along the Rocky Mountain Front and onto the prairie at Conrad, Simms and Choteau.

He said in a telephone interview that his agency makes recommendations on protecting livestock, such getting a herder, using guard dogs, night penning or electric fences.

Steuber said nonlethal methods are a big aspect of the job.

Anytime people find livestock they suspect has been killed should contact his department at 406-657-6464. Callers will then be given a local contact.

Edwards said he is receiving more reports of grizzly bears coming closer to homes.

During a recent loss-prevention meeting, a Hutterite colony recently reported more bear sightings.

The colony’s milking crew came walking around a building and saw a grizzly bear standing there.

“We can protect our livestock but how can we protect the families?” one Hutterite member said at the meeting, Edwards recalled.